Placement of the Finger on the Trigger

[Crash]

I've been shooting handguns off and on for a long time, but almost every time I talk to another shooter, watch a video, or read a magazine article, I get different opinions on where to place the finger on the trigger. Some say the tip of the trigger, some say the "ball" of the finger between the tip and the joint, and some say on the joint. I think it may make a difference whether the gun has a short, light, single-action pull or a long, heavy double-action pull, or something in between. Also, the size of your hand, the grip size, and the length of your fingers may make a difference.

What say ye?

Crash

[Beiruty]

All the above are factors. Finger discipline is THE key for pistol shooting accuracy.
Also today I am seeing trigger-finger position assisting "reset"

Watch this:

[treadlightly]

I like Leatham's trigger technique. First learn to keep the gun stable with an aggressive trigger pull, and then just mash it when the front sight is on target. Watch slow motion of most top shooters. Their fingers lift completely off the trigger between shots. It's not a Cooper-esque compressed surprise break, they fire the trigger solenoid fashion.

But let me hasten to add Cooper wasn't wrong. Technique has evolved. He was ahead of his time. Advances have been made. When Cooper worked out his flash sight picture and the notion of actually using the sights when the FBI was probably still teaching squat, point, and shoot instinctively was ground-breaking.

In 1976, when Gunsite opened, a ten second El Presidente was remarkable and six seconds was thought theoretically possible.

I'd say work out an aggressive trigger technique that lets the finger land where it most naturally falls. Consistency is probably the most important thing.

An interesting topic. Apologies for popping off!

[ScottDLS]

I always thought just below the first joint (from the tip) of the index finger??? But no one ever really told me....so I guess I just did what feels natural for me.

[Beiruty]

usually it is the middle of the first pad. However, my finger has different length than yours.

[rtschl]

I always liked this infographic: https://www.nrablog.com/articles/2015/9 ... =hootsuite

# 3 is the picture for trigger control.

[dlh]

Be careful about using the first joint on your index finger because left-handed shooters (me) tend to pull the shot to the right while right-handed shooters might pull the shot to the left.

I use the pad of the index finger above the first joint and pull straight back. Doing that, at least for me, minimizes my tendency to pull the shot to the right.

[Jusme]

I have practiced trigger discipline for hours, and for me, the best, most consistent, position, is just slightly in front of the first joint on my finger. I am most consistent, and can stay on target, even during fast fire drills. I have seen others who, are better with the joint almost all the way to the off hand side of the trigger. Everyone will be different, because of different hand sizes, distance from the butt of the gun to the trigger, etc..It took me a lot of experimenting, to get consistent with mine, but my muscle memory automatically puts my finger in the right position. I still do slow, steady trigger drills to make sure that nothing changes, before speeding up. I have seen videos, and had people tell me that I need to change, but if I put shots on target, without having to think about my trigger finger, I'll stick with it. Your results may vary.

[warnmar10]

Be careful about using the first joint on your index finger because left-handed shooters (me) tend to pull the shot to the right while right-handed shooters might pull the shot to the left.

I use the pad of the index finger above the first joint and pull straight back. Doing that, at least for me, minimizes my tendency to pull the shot to the right.

Mmm hmm.

[dlh]

There is no "One way is the best way for everyone for all weapons" and it irks me when I see people telling others what part to use; that's nonsense because we all have different hand sizes, shapes, finger-lengths, different firearms - and even different lengths of triggers in the same model of firearm.

The goal is to have no movement of the muzzle when you pull the trigger - so what actually matters is you finding the correct place on your trigger-finger for that firearm. You're looking for the ideal placement, whatever it might be, that allows the trigger to be pulled straight back with no "english" left or right.

"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not."---Bruce Lee

[Bitter Clinger]

[treadlightly]

All good advice, but I think that graphic may overthink the problem just a little.

One aspect I've never understood is the notion of follow-through. It's likely I don't understand what it is.

My guess is the idea of follow-through must be psychological. Once the bullet has left the barrel there's nothing good or bad that can happen from what the shooter does next, at least not for accuracy. Without control of the recoil non-gas operated autoloaders may not cycle properly. Other than that, once the sound gets to your ears or the sensation of recoil gets to your noggin, your copper jacketed Elvis has already left the building.

It seems that if I have to initiate action to control the recoil I have to get the timing just right, else I'm controlling a recoil that hasn't happened yet, pushing my sights off target, probably low. I figure my job is to keep the front sight on target if it leaves for any reason, recoil being nothing special. If I'm bumped, jostled, running for cover, or the front sight jumps from a discharge, it's all SOP. Keep the front sight on the target.

I think there are also negative aspects to a surprise break. We get skittish when we're not in control. One of the things that helped me a lot when I had serious flinching issues was to turn the idea of surprise around.

The gun wasn't going to surprise me with a horrible noise, I was going to personally, deliberately create the noise, right now. The gun might be surprised, not me.

Instead of controlling this kick thing, perhaps caused by the gun itself recoiling in horror over the scary stuff that just happened, my grip was to cover my gun's six o'clock. Don't worry, little fella. When it seems like you might go flying over my shoulder, I'm strong and here to catch you.

But most of all, my accuracy is best when I feel in proactive control. Thunder and kick, on my mark. No surprise. Nothing is scary, it's not all that loud behind hearing protectors, and the gun does nothing that is not my will.

After all, on a cosmic scale firing a gun is no big deal. A gas giant explosively becoming a supernova, swallowing entire planetary systems in one convulsive blast, that's a big thing. My nine drilling a hole through a sheet of paper a few yards away, not so much.